The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-10-15
PoWDERLY's ADDRESS.
The Grand Master workman's
Annual Address.


Who Give Support to Anarcl,ists and
Places His Resignation in tile
Hands OF Assembly.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Oct. 6.-General
Master Workman Powderly read his annual
address to the General Assembly Of the
Knights Of Labor this afternoon. It was
contained in a pamphlet OF sixty.four
closely printed pages, and occupid four
hours In delivery. The speaker started
with the statement that the last session OF
tho General Assembly was amid the clnmor
OF discontcnted men, the warning of factions
and dissensons within the ranks, which
were enlarged upon and scattered to the
world by enemies within and without. To-
day there was but one Objectionable feature
which stood in the way of the success OF
the convention. and this was Of 30 unim-
!. portant a nature that he would not refer to
\ It, The delegates understood this to refer
to the Anarchist resolution and there was
applause and counter applause.
A sharp rap OF the gavel restored order
and the speaker at once plunged into the
history OF the Chicago Stock Yards strike
OF last year. which was summnrily ended
by the executive board. This occupied tho
attention of the convention for over an
hour. All the correspondence which passed
between the General Master Workman, the
officers Of the assemblies on strike, and
Messrs. Barry and Carlton, Of the execu-
tive board, who visited Chicago at the time
to investigate the trouble, was read in de-
tail. Incidentally the speaker charged that
the message ordering the strike off, which
was prematurely published, was "piclfed
Off the wires and given to the press by
somebody connected with the telegraph
service" g
The speaker next went into the question
of ''the order and Anarchy" He said: II
have never, as has been so often asserted
in the press of the land, confounded Social
ism with Anarchy. draw n wide line of
distinction between the two as every read
ing, thinking man must Whenever have
had occasion to say anything concerning
Anarchy,it has been reported thatI assailed
Socialism. / have said very little concern
ing either one except from the public plat
form, and to my mind altogether too much
prominence has been given to the subject
by the press. Within the order not enough
, Of interest has been awakened until lately,
regarding the matter 1t was taken for
granted that the order, being SO large and
influential, could afford to ignore the ques-
tion and could afford to put up with the
presence Of a few OF the rankest Anarch-
lists. l have thought otherwise, and be-
cause have taken issue with these men in
their efforts to make the order Of the
Knights Of Labor subordinate to the ele-
ment known as the Anarchist element,
have been taken to task moro than once.
Some of our prominent members, IN speak
ing of these things, have said: 'Powderly
Is only speaking for himself when he as
sails the Anarchist I will lay the case
before this General Assembly, and when
have done SO will ask Of this body to say
whether was right or not. l will also ask
of the General Assembly to define the po-
sition Of the order on the attempts that
have been made to prostitute it to such base
uses as the Anarchists would put it.
~ have never publicly uttered a state
ment regarding the course OF the seven
men condemned to death in Chicago.
will now give my opinion. II these men
did not have n fair trial, such as is guaran.
teed every man in the United States, then
they should be granted a new trial. II
they have not been found guilty of murder
they should not be hanged. III they are tc
be hanged for the action of others, 1t is moi
just. The man who threw the bomb II
! Chicago should be hanged and his accom-
plices should receive the punishment
allotted to such offences by the laws of the
State of Illinois.
'Before the public I have never said 6
word concerning these men. have never
felt called upon to say anything, for it i.
none Of my business; yet some Of theil
friends have put words of condemnation In
my mouth in order to have me say some
thing in their favor. allowed it to go as
the many false reports concerning me
went, unnoticed. felt that If they could
stand it / could"
Continuing, the speaker said that hi:
connection with Anarchy within the order
dated from November e. 1885. when he re
ceived q letter from Mrs. Rodgers, Master
Workman of District Assembly No. "a, Of
Chicago, advising him that d resolution o.
sympathy with the Anarchists had beer
passed by the body, and that meanwhile it.
members were "moving heaven and earth
to secure the release of the condemned
men and to utilize the order for building
up a political party, to be controlled ant
manipulated by the Anarchists and sympa-
thizers as propaganda of the nefarious
doctrines concerning the domestic circle
government and land tenure" Then fol
lowed voluminous correspondence inter
spersed with comments. BY inference the
speaker denied that he helped to down
Robert Nelson, the labor nominee for Mayor
yof Chicago, or that he had forbidden thu
members of the order to attend the funera
of Mrs. Neebe, the wife Of the imprisoned
Anarchist. These and other charges were
denounced as impertinent and rascally.
The speaker denied that. because tn,
General Assembly at Richmond recon
mended the condemned men to the mere,
Of Governor Oglesby, the entire order wa
committed to their unqualified support
and admitted that there were times during
the year, when 1t was with the creates
difficulty that the order was saved from
crisis over this matter itnatt.f7s saN p
Concluding, Mr.. Powderly said: ~ hav
not in any way interfered in the internu
affairs of any OF the various societies t
which any Of these men may belong, and i
doing what did, faithfully carried ou
the instructions received from my prt
decessor and have lived up to the obligs
tion took when installed as Maste
Workman. place them before you SO this
steps may be taken to put stop to the II
terference of Anarchists in affairs OF thl
order. am not actuated by malice, spite
desire for revenge, or for any other pu
pose than to shield the order from the a
tacks of men who have grow
insane on the subject OF bringin
the millennium to few afte
they have blown the many to atoms. Th
resolution which should pass Is one to d.
mand that every avowed Anarchist shoul
be obliged to withdraw from the order Q